Fire Stand-by / Firefighter Rehab

[Dustdevil]

It's a leather fetish I guess, because I spent my fire career in the plastic helmet era, and never witnessed any such weirdness. Just another one of those fire service idiocies that the old birds tell the rookies they are supposed to feel and do, so they just accept it and pass it on mindlessly because it's "tradition". Tradition does more to kill firefighters than any other factor. Unfortunately, the more that die, the more they feel like heroes, and the more they commit to mindless tradition. And the cycle continues. Too bad there aren't enough people in the fire service who are intelligent enough to figure it out.

[Flasurfbum]

What's so emotional about the helmet? Enlighten me here... I have plenty of FF friends and have never seen this be such an issue.

Many of us spend > $400 on a leather lid which will last the majority of our careers, and some are fortunate to have their fathers, or even grandfathers lid, from when they served. I suppose it depends on how strong the sense of tradition is in the dept, depends on how much they value their helmet.

I now see the part about giving it to their C/O. Better then just taking it, but it could lead to bad juju later down the road.

When I DQed a pair of firemen for smoking in rehab, and refusing to get their vitals taken, I went right to accountability, and told him who was out. That nipped the problem right in the bud, as they were escorted to their truck and told to sit in the cab until they returned to quarters.

[Medic65]

Being a firefighter and also in EMS, it is my opinion that a 911 EMS unit should not do rehab. Of course though many areas simply can't do any better. A 911 should be available, but not obligated to to rebab. Many places have specified rehab units packed full of water and coffe, small snacks, etc etc.

Each time a firefighter comes out of the building, or appears to be tired, which should be noticed by a rehab officer, that person should be evaluated. Simple vitals taken such as BP, pulse, pulse ox (yea i know fire.. smoke CO, false readinds and all that mumbo jumbo).

I have seen too many times, a person coming from the fire, sweating like crazy, getting a new air cylinder, then going back in. It's bad all around. No control from officers if you ask me. Firefighters aren't super heros, no matter how much they think they are. Human just like everyone else. Take care of yourself, officers look over your crew!

[VentMedic]

Here's an interesting Florida news story. I believe we also have a forum member from this service.

http://www.ocala.com/article/20080604/NEWS...a_burning_house

Ambulance crew saves couple from a burning house

Paramedic and EMT arrived at fire scene before Fire Rescue.

BY LAURA JERVIS

STAR-BANNER

Published: Wednesday, June 4, 2008 at 6:30 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, June 3, 2008 at 11:42 p.m.

OCALA - An ambulance crew dispatched to care for potentially injured firefighters instead rescued a family from a burning home.

Marion County Emergency Medical Services Alliance responded to a call a little after 1:45 a.m. May 27 near Belleview and Summerfield, according to a media release.

Paramedic Tom Lucas and Emergency Medical Technician Dan Ivanovic got to the house fire about 6 minutes after the 911 call, but Marion County Fire Rescue had not yet arrived.

Lucas said the front porch was on fire.

"I've seen a whole lot worse than that," he said.

He and Ivanovic had heard from dispatch that the residents might be inside and saw a parked car, so they went behind the house and pounded on doors and windows to wake the two people in the home.

According to Randy L. Robinson, the public information officer for EMS Alliance, they walked a few steps into the house and escorted the grateful pair out unharmed.

"They couldn't believe it even happened," Lucas said. "They thanked us many, many times."

An ambulance responds to any structure fire in Marion County in case a firefighter or an occupant of the building is hurt.

Robinson said all ambulances have at least one paramedic and one EMT, in accordance with state guidelines. An EMT can perform basic life support, and a paramedic is qualified to perform advanced life support, such as using a defibrillator.

There is not an ambulance driver, so one medic normally cares for a patient while the other is behind the wheel.

Marion County Fire Rescue will take over ambulance transport in Marion County on Oct. 1, when the contract for EMS Alliance - a nonprofit governmental agency created by Marion County, the city of Ocala, Ocala Regional Medical Center and Munroe Regional Medical Center - expires, so emergency medical personnel must reapply to work for Fire Rescue, Robinson said.

Lucas said he was not phased by the incident, and that it was "just another day."

[Eydawn]

Then it seems to me that taking the helmet would be the most effective way to indicate that I am *deadly* serious. If all else fails, if talking doesn't get the message across, if taking the tag is still not getting the message across, and I don't have time to pander to you, I'm taking your helmet and giving it to your c/o as a visual and physical indication of just how badly you screwed up. It's not something I'd do lightly, believe me.

What do the firefighters think rehab is for, exactly? So we can play nurse? Like EMS doesn't have plenty of other things we'd rather be doing... I personally hate smoke, but I'll do my damndest to make sure firefighters in my care are adequately cared for and protected. If they're going to treat me badly because of it, why would I respect the tradition of the "lid"?

Of course, I'd explain why I was taking the helmet and how the bullheadedness was dishonoring everything that helmet stands for...

Wendy

CO EMT-B

[Flasurfbum]

Not everyone sees dieing as an LODD as heroic. If you go that extra mile to save a life, then yes, you did something heroic. Those that die from excessive speeding, 300 lbs, eats like crap, and never works out, or 87 years old and dies from a CVA, but just so happens to be in the firehouse, those are bullshit. Pure and simple. Those people have no buisness in the fire service, and while their dept may lament them, and beat their chest, and call them heros, there are many who ask, why?

Why were they in the fire service?

They obviously have no buisness being there.

http://www.everyonegoeshome.com/

http://firefighterclosecalls.com/

[Dustdevil]

I wonder if the ambulance responded hot, or if they were just in the vicinity.

Also curious to know where the first alarm fire crew was at the time. Anybody willing to bet they were tied up on a BS EMS run, so the next due had to take the fire?

[triemal04]

I wonder if the ambulance responded hot, or if they were just in the vicinity.

Also curious to know where the first alarm fire crew was at the time. Anybody willing to bet they were tied up on a BS EMS run, so the next due had to take the fire?

Could have been. But, if that's the case, it just helps illustrate my point in another thread that, even if fire were to stop running EMS, don't expect a lot of station closures and drop in their budget that can be in turn passed onto EMS. Let me explain: If they had been (guessing, don't know how far away the station was, but we'll say it was <5min away from the house) in quarters then they'd have been there in an appropriate amount of time. If that station had been closed because they stopped running EMS and lost a large amount of their budget (which many people assume would happen), and the second due became the first due for that house (don't know if that was the case, let's just pretend it was) then you'd have had this situation all over again.

Nobody wins.

Stop Fire responding to most (the vast, vast majority) of EMS calls and get more EMS units staffed. But don't expect there to be a sudden surge in the amount of money available for EMS to staff those units. There should be some, sure, but to fully fund both services at appropriate levels will mean more money has to come into the city coffers. And I think everyone here knows how unlikely that is right now.

[jsadin]

My partner and I responded to a chimney fire one evening (we will stand by any fire call if we happen to be in town and available). When we arrived flames were visible about 2-3ft above the top of the chimney. Two extinguishers up the cleanout and we had the fire out before the FD showed up. Yay us.

[Dustdevil]

Not everyone sees dieing as an LODD as heroic. If you go that extra mile to save a life, then yes, you did something heroic. Those that die from excessive speeding, 300 lbs, eats like crap, and never works out, or 87 years old and dies from a CVA, but just so happens to be in the firehouse, those are bullshit. Pure and simple.

I would add the majority of those killed in collapses to that "bullshit" figure. Most of them were situations they had no business entering in the first place.